| Constructed for John T. McMurran, "Melrose" is a majestic but somewhat austere example of Greek Revival domestic architecture. The house is particularly important for the exceptional integrity of its architecture and furnishings. Melrose was the first house in Natchez to incorporate sliding doors between double parlors and library, thus creating one large salon. The estate was designated a National Historic Landmark (and thereby listed on the National Register) on 30 May 1974, with 56.1 acres of surrounding land. It is now owned and operated by the National Park Service as part of its Natchez National Historical Park. Melrose is the subject of an article by William Nathaniel Banks, 'Living with Antiques: Melrose in Natchez, Mississippi,' in the March 1987 issue of "Antiques" magazine. It is included in "White Pillars" (1941) (pp. 120-121), "Shrines to Yesterday" (1968), "The Majesty of Natchez" (1969/1981/1986) (pp. 62-63), "Historic Architecture in Mississippi" (1973) (pp. 34-36), "Old Homes of Mississippi, Volume I: Natchez and the South" (1977) (p. 53), "Pride of the South" (1979) (p. 138), "The Great Houses of Natchez" (1986) (pp. 70-74), "Architecture of the Old South: Mississippi - Alabama" (1989), "Classic Natchez" (1996) (pp. 32, 108-111), "Natchez Images, 1880-1960" (2002) (p. 55), "Natchez: Houses and History" (2003) (pp. 130-135), Mary Carol Miller’s "Great Houses of Mississippi" (2004) (pp. 40-43), "Louisiana Architecture 1840-1860" (2006) (pp. 123-125), and "Buildings of Mississippi" (2020) (p.48, ND52). [HABS: MS-61 (twenty-four pages of measured drawings drawn in 1992; two exterior photos made by Ralph Clynne on 29 March 1934, and forty-six photos of the house and its setting made by Jack E. Boucher in July 1992, along with numerous photos and measured drawings of the outbuildings made in 1992)] |